<p>I've always been fascinated by the mind, but I'm also a critic of psychology so I thought about studying neuroscience, but I also love microbiology... Long story short, I came across neuroimmunology and it sounds like a great fit!</p>
<p>Obviously there are no undergraduate degrees in neuroimmunology, so what should my undergrad degree be? General biology degree, neuroscience, immunology, etc? When does someone specialize in neuroimmunology? At the masters or doctoral level? Do you get a degree in both neuroscience and immunology? Should I get a BS in both immunology and neuroscience?</p>
<p>Are most neuroimmunologists more of a neuroscientist or an immunologist, or 50/50?</p>
<p>Please keep in mind that I do not want to become a medical doctor, and that I am going to be a research scientist although I may work closely with physicians.</p>
<p>There are probably few, if any, graduate degree programs offered specifically in neuroimmunology. Instead, there are faculty/researchers/labs that specialize in that area. Some of these faculty/researchers/labs are situated in neuroscience programs, some are situated in immunology programs, some are situated in pathobiology programs, and so on. So, the particular types of departments/programs (and the titles of those programs/departments) to which you would apply for graduate study will vary across different universities. I would guess that neuroscience programs are the most common home for this subspecialty, however. </p>
<p>To find a program/department with this subspecialty, you would have to check the relevant journals or program websites to find out who does research in this area and the programs/departments with which they are affiliated. It’s very much a matter of being accepted as a student by a faculty member in whose lab you would like to work. Commonly, in a grad program in a field like neuroscience, you would start out with rotations in several labs before settling on the one where you will do your dissertation research. </p>
<p>Since neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field, programs accept applicants from several different undergrad majors. These could include biology, cell biology, neurobiology, etc. You should check the websites of programs that interest you for any specific requirements. All would require core coursework in basic sciences similar to the typical premed requirements. They would probably expect that you have at least basic coursework in the area of the interest, such as neuroscience and/or immunology. All would expect some undergrad research experience. Beyond those basic requirements, it’s pretty flexible. </p>
<p>If you do an undergrad major in neurobiology, it should be possible for you to fit in an elective course in immunology. If you do microbiology, you can use an elective for a neuro course. You don’t need to do a double major in neuro + micro/immunology. (And some schools won’t let you major in two bioscience subconcentrations.). In any case, there is more than one pathway to what you want to do as far as your undergrad major is concerned. </p>
<p>It would be unlikely that a specialty in neuroimmunology would occur at the master’s level. In fact, many people would only specialize in that area at the postdoc level after first completing a program in a broader field such as neuroscience or immunology.</p>